The cool breeze kissed the damp leaves which rustled at its touch. The moon had crept to its peak, its light tearing through cracks and crevices of the hut where the children huddled. The clouds so dark had parted so the full moon would have enough freedom to roam the dark skies.
The voice of an old woman rang across the compound as she sang songs from the folk tale which she was sharing with the children.
"Mma" as the children addressed her, was in her early eighties. She had begun to walk with the aid of sticks and wrinkles had played a puzzle on her face.
Her neck was scrawny and her teeth darkened by the snuff and herbs she chose to drink. The wrapper which she tied to her bosom had slipped as a result of her demonstrations and exposed her sagging breasts.
She often scratched her head filled with sparse grey hair as she sang her songs. The children fought to keep their attention but shivered because of the turn the story had taken. Mma usually told adventurous stories about the wise and crafty turtle, who was always coming out unscathed from every danger. Her stories amused them and also taught lessons that they always shared with their mates.
This ritual of telling folktales had been established by Mma, a continuation of a sacred method of teaching which had been instituted by her fathers and the fathers before them. The children were seated on the mat each with a piece of the wrapper, wrapped around their tiny bodies. The clothing was donated by their mothers to shield them from cold.
The windows and doors of the hut were wide open and the closeness between night and dawn could be sensed. It was at that time that the dead folks who were trapped in the world roamed the lands in search of bodies to claim. There had been many stories about such happenings and the children heeded the advice of their parents to always stay indoors till the dead have gone.
"When the cock crows, it means the living are free to come out". Obi's father had once told her as she made inquisition concerning the so-called myth of possession.
Mma had diverted from amusement to hard lessons as she told the tale of a disobedient boy who had been captured by an evil spirit. The faces of the children had paled and some were so afraid that their teeth began to clatter. Obi fought the fear that drew on her nerves, there was no way she would let a mere story unsettle her.
Despite the cold, her cousin Chukwudi had beads of sweat trickling down his face and the boys who sat with him had accused him of wetting their buttocks with urine.
Tobe was the youngest, he found refuge under the old woman's wrapper. Settling in between her thighs, he had found a strange solace in the tent he dove into. His face could not be made out clearly but soft whimpers could be heard from Mma's thighs whenever the evil spirit was mentioned. The boy had managed to fall asleep a few minutes after his voyage.
Other children would have envied Tobe if only he had sought refuge in a better place.
"Then the mother of the boy came, she was ready to fight and take the boy home with her. She could not bear to lose her only child. But immediately she entered into the jungle she began to see different forms of spirits. The ones who had two heads, those with no heads, some with three heads and four hands. Some walked with their heads.
The poor woman kept walking till she found the place where her son had forgotten his flute. She cried as she found the spot empty and thought of how she had warned her son never to go on a search for the flute. She had promised to get it back for him at daybreak but the stubborn boy had snuck off.
The evil spirit felt her presence and descended with a force so mighty that he shook the grounds. Then he began to question her. The woman narrated all that happened but instead of releasing her son which he had made prisoner, he turned the woman away"
Taa! Ikuku buru gi
Taa! Ikuku buru gị
Mma had told the children earlier about the response they were supposed to give to her chorus. None of the children except Obi gave a response because of how scared they had become. The old woman was satisfied with the fear she was driving into the children, it would make them more obedient. The sole aim of her story was to teach Chukwudi whom his mother had laid complaints about, a big lesson. He was always causing trouble for his poor widowed mother and flogging him had brought futile results.
Taa ikuku buru gị Zamiriza
Taa ikuku buru gị Zamiriza
buru gị, buru gị na
nwa gị Zamiriza
Nwa gị chọta kwara Zamiriza
mbe ya
mbe ya tọgbọrọ n'úkwù
Osisi kpọrọ nkụ
Chọọ ya ahụghị ya, chọọ ya ahụghị ya
Ha hahaha! Kahoooooooorooooo
The wicked laughter that ensued from the old woman and her facial expression made the children picture the evil spirit. Some shut their eyes involuntarily if only the picture could be driven from their minds.
"Mma what happened to the woman?" Chukwudi asked still dripping urine on the floor like a mindless baby.
"He swallowed her too" Mma replied with a huge grin.
Chukwudi could no longer hold his fear as he ran from the hut screaming and calling his mother. The other children could not do the same like he did as they feared being eaten by such ghosts described by Mma.
With their pale faces, clattering teeth, and fisted knuckles they prayed for daybreak to save them from Mma's tales. At this point, the old woman's wrapper almost left her waist as more children sought the refuge it had given Tobe.
Even the brave Obi had begun to vibrate on the floor, Mma should have stuck to the tales about the tortoise.
****'*******************************
Glossary
The folklore
Taa! Let the wind carry you
Carry you and your son
Your son came in search of his flute
His flute lay on the root of a dry tree
He searched and searched but he could not see it.
This story is set in the eastern part of Nigeria, there would be mixed languages such as Igbo, Pidgin and English. I'd try to give the meaning of the words I use, aside those in English.
******************
A/N: Hey Everyone!
Hope we enjoyed this chapter!
Trust me I was even more afraid than Chukwudi the first time I heard this story from my grandmother.
Do well to drop your comments, like the story, vote and share ❤️ 😘 😘
YOU ARE READING
Against All Odds
Romance"What is your name? " he enquired with a staid expression. Obi's eyes roamed around still trying to ascertain the safety of their current surrounding. Her lips were still quivering out of shock and her breathing distorted. "Obiukwu" She finally le...
